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Sharks Take A Bite Out Of Lightning

The Associated Press

Tampa Bay Lightning's Jeff Halpern and San Jose Sharks' Dan Boyle fight for possession of the puck.

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By Mark Emmons

Tribune Correspondent

Published: January 14, 2009

SAN JOSE, Ca. - Tampa Bay Coach Rick Tocchet made it clear earlier in the day that there were plenty of reasons why it should be "impossible" for the Lightning to knock off the San Jose Sharks Tuesday night.

After all, the Sharks led the NHL in points and were undefeated in regulation at home. And Tampa Bay was a weary, beat-up team on the last game of a long road trip.

"But I told the guys that it's amazing what your mind can convince your body to do in situations like this," Tocchet said.

Or maybe not.

The Sharks hammered the Lightning, 7-1, as Tampa Bay took too many penalties, gave up too many shots and looked like a team that had spent too much time away from home. It was the worst margin of defeat for the Lightning this season.

"That's a hell of a hockey club," Tocchet said afterward. "Our guys tried, but they are the best team in the league and they put a spanking on us."

Joe Thornton, the Sharks' All-Star center, led the balanced scoring attack with two goals and one assist as the Sharks peppered Lightning goalie Karri Ramo with 42 shots. Steven Stamkos's fifth goal of the season was just about the only bright spot for the Lightning on an otherwise forgettable evening.

Despite the ugly ending, it still was a moderately successful road swing as Tampa Bay (13-20-10) won three of five games. Also, losing at HP Pavilion is pretty much what happens to every visiting team this season as the NHL-best Sharks (32-5-5) improved to 20-0-2 at home.

"It's obviously frustrating and embarrassing to lose by a six-goal margin," Stamkos said. "But we had a pretty good road trip. And there's a reason why they are at the top of the league."

Tocchet knew the deck was stacked against the Lightning. Tampa Bay suited up only five defensemen -- including Vladmir Mihalik and Kevin Quick, who both were emergency call-ups from the American Hockey League. Quick arrived just hours before the game as a replacement for Paul Ranger, who was suffering from an undisclosed upper-body injury.

As for the rest of the team, they didn't get to their San Jose hotel until 2 a.m. Tuesday after their 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings Monday.

Fatigue might have contributed to the defensive lapses that cost the Lightning in the first period. The Sharks' Devin Setoguchi scored just 2:17 into the game off a Thornton pass. Setoguchi had been left wide open in front of Ramo, who was making his second start after posting a victory against Anaheim Friday night.

Later in the period, Thornton made it 2-0 when his power-play shot deflected off the stick of Lightning defenseman Adam Hall and past Ramo.

Stamkos deflection of a Mark Recchi slap shot got past Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov to cut the lead in half.

"When it was 2-1, there was about a five-minute stretch where I thought we might be able to squeak out something," Tocchet said. "But then we gave up four penalties in a row."

And those mistakes -- which included one penalty for too many men on the ice -- led to a Sharks' deluge of goals. They scored three times, twice on power plays, in the second period and added two more quick goals early in the third period to blow open the game.

As the game became a rout, it predictably turned chippy in the third period. Tampa Bay's Vaclav Prospal and David Koci were sent off the ice with game misconduct penalties as the Lightning showed some fight at the end.

"I don't think guys quit," Tocchet said. "We're just a little banged up."

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